I Wish
by Little Miss Maybe
Summary: "I wish I will never fall in love." That is America's wish. But when it's finally granted by a mysterious demon, he finds himself falling in love anyway. Burdened by his curse, he is forced to live without the one thing he truly wishes for. USUK   angst.
1. Prologue

Well, here we go, a story I started a little while ago. Basically, it's just an excuse to write USUK angst. XD I'm kidding. Sort of. ANYWAY. Let's start, shall we~?

**I Wish**

_**Prologue**_  
><em><strong>America's Point of View (POV)<strong>_

_It all started with those stories England used to tell me._

_I don't even remember the plots or titles of the stories; it's been far too long. However, I do recall one basic feature about nearly all of them. They were, in some form or another, about love. I guess you could call them fairy-tales. They were just like all those other classic damsel-in-distress stories – the handsome hero falls in love with the beautiful princess, but they cannot be together for some reason. Sometimes it was rank, sometimes the king, something was always in the way. It didn't really matter; I adored them all the same. I learned something from them, though: I never wanted to fall in love._

_Sure, in the stories the princess and the main character always ended up together, but I learned pretty quickly from my history lessons that reality wasn't like that. Things didn't work out perfectly like in those fables. I'd heard plenty of real-life stories to know true love barely ever works out, and I didn't want to go through the heartbreak._

_In other words, I was really stupid._

_I remember one night when I was about seven in human years, I was watching the stars with England, and we saw a shooting star. England told me to make a wish on it, so I did._

"I wish I will never fall in love. I wish I will never have to tell someone, "I love you.'"_That was what I wished for. How foolish I was._

_Later that same night when I was all alone in bed, there was suddenly a bright flash of light. Startled and a little frightened, I took a peek at what it was. I don't remember exactly what it looked like, just that it wore a hooded cloak that hid its face except for a pair of glowing eyes. It came over to my bedside and I remember feeling very cold._

"Hello, little one,"_ it said in a chilling, relaxed voice. I was too scared to respond. _"You called for me, did you not?"

"W-What?"_I managed to stammer out. It chuckled darkly._

"Your wish. Don't you remember?"

"O-Oh…"

"Well, I'm here to grant it."

"Really?"_ At that moment, all my fear was replaced with anticipation and joy._

"Yes,"_it said. I didn't notice then, but now that I think back, I'm sure that answer had a sinister undertone to it. It placed a hand on my head and I shivered from the frozen touch. The hand started to glow._

"W-What are you doing?"_I squeaked. My question was ignored._

"From now on,"_ it said, _"the words 'I love you' will never reach your true love, whether in word or deed. You will forever live without, as they say, _amore_." _There was another flash and a burning sensation in my heart, and suddenly I was alone in a dark room._

_At that time, I couldn't have been happier. Now, I only feel regret._

_I didn't understand the mistake I had made._

_A few years went by and I completely forgot about that incident. It hadn't effected my life at all. However, it was when my feelings toward England started to develop into something more than brotherly that weird things started happening._

_The first thing I noticed was the farewells. I had always told England,_ "I love you"_ before bed and when he was leaving, like any family. But as my feelings grew, I found the words harder and harder to say. Eventually, I couldn't say it at all, but I could still get the feeling across. I could improvise. But that was before I had truly fallen for him._

_It was just a little before the Revolution when I finally realized what was going on. I was wandering around a park, confused and trying to figure out what was happening between England and me. I chanced to come across a couple telling each other how much they loved the other. It was then that I remembered my wish and what had transpired all those years ago. And that was when it hit me._

_I had fallen in love._

_I was horrified and scared. I panicked. This was not what I wanted. I thought my wish would prevent that. That was when I realized my wish was a curse._

_I did everything I could to distance myself from England after that. I was trying to smother my love, trying to snuff it out. But it didn't work._

_Independence._

_That was the only thing I could come up with. I fought him and won my freedom. I thought that would save me from my feelings._

_It didn't._

_My affection only grew and grew. Finally, I was too tired to run from it anymore. I accepted it. I had fallen in love with England. I tried to tell him on numerous occasions, but the curse prevented me. I would freeze up, unable to get the words out. It didn't matter what I tried to say, if I even attempted to hint at what I felt, it wouldn't work. Then I decided to experiment with other ways. I tried writing letters, but nothing happened when I started to form the words. I tried telling other people about my feelings, but that didn't work, either. I even attempted to kiss England once, but my body refused to move. I couldn't even explain the curse to anyone. No one suspected how I felt._

_I slowly came to understand I could never get around it. The curse would bind me forever. The very wish I though would prevent my heart from breaking was now causing it._

_I've given up._

_It's not worth it when I already know there's nothing I can do. I hate it, but it's the truth. After I realized I couldn't get around the curse, I spent years struggling to figure out how to break it. I tried so hard._

_But it's impossible._

_The only other option I have now is to live with my mistake. My feelings are one-sided, anyway._

_There's no way England would ever love me._

**Oooooh, drama! XD I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. Most of it will probably be in America's point of vision, but some will be from England's. I'll let you guys know so you won't have to work so hard. 83**

**And yes, that creepy demon-thing… That's the same one from my other story, "I Hate You." XD Of course, it's a different story, so… Yeah.**

**I hope you liked this, I'll accept any and all critique as long as it's not a flame (I trust you guys to be helpful, though~). Reviews are not mandatory, but highly encouraged! They keep me going and usually give me awesomesauce ideas! If you don't have anything better to say than, "I liked this," "Cute," "Aw, poor America! ," etc., then please, don't say anything. It's implied by the fact that you read the story.**

**Thank you for reading this long thing! XD I'll keep my comments shorter next time.**


	2. Chapter 1

Ready for some misunderstandings? I mean, they're bound to happen sometime, right? Okay, let's go~

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><p><em><strong>America's POV<strong>_

It was just another meeting.

Just more pointless bickering. Just more time wasted when we could have been doing something productive.

Just another place I'm forced to see England.

I rubbed my eyes and stifled a yawn as I watched Germany trying to get control of the meeting. He shouted and shouted, but no one was listening. There was too much chaos.

It sort of reminded me of my futile attempts at trying to confess to England.

I sighed and looked over at the source of my heartache. The green-eyed nation was currently yelling curses and insults as France tried to sexually harrass him. Typical.

A lump formed in my throat as I watched. I admit, I was a little jealous of France. He professed his love to practically everyone he saw.

Lucky bastard.

I was suddenly jerked from my thoughts by Germany. He had somehow gotten a hold of a bullhorn and was commanding everyone to be quiet. I folded my arms on the table and let my head fall. I hadn't slept at all last night; memories had attacked me relentlessly. Germany was saying something, but I wasn't paying attention. How many nights had I been kept awake by nightmares and emotions? I couldn't remember. Recently, they were getting worse, too. That was part of why I was having trouble sleeping - I was scared.

I turned my head and sleepily glanced at England. He looked so frustrated with his arms crossed and that scowl on his face. It made me smile. My small moment of pleasure disappeared as my heavy eyelids started to droop. I didn't want to fall asleep, at all costs. What if I had another nightmare?

But, as usual, my body fought my brain and won. My tired eyes closed and I nodded off.

I don't know how long I was asleep, but it was England who woke me up. He was shaking me rather roughly.

"Get up, you idiot, the meeting's over!" he growled.

"Ah, Angleterre, leave the poor boy alone," said France as he came over. He put a hand on my shoulder and added, "It is obvious he is tired. We should let him rest, non?" England glared at him suspiciously.

"Fine," he muttered and left. France chuckled to himself and turned to face me.

"Amerique, may I speak to you for a moment?"

I blinked dazedly and nodded. France quickly glanced around to make sure no one else was there. Satisfied that not even Canada was in the room, he turned back to me and started speaking.

"May I ask you something?" He paused. "How do you feel about Angleterre?" I immediately perked up at this. Had France figured out my feelings? Would he be the one to end my misery? "I noticed you were looking at him a lot..." France continued. "Did you two fight, or is there something with your bosses?" I slumped forward on the table, finding it hard to mask my disappointment.

Of course France hadn't figured it out, that was impossible, thanks to the curse. I was stupid to hope he would notice. Even France was prevented from seeing my odd behavior around England so no one could figure it out. So many times I had made it painfully obvious how I felt without actually saying it, but no one saw. It was hopeless.

"So? How do you feel about Angleterre?" France asked again. I had forgotten about the question.

"Oh, yeah. I..." I struggled to answer in a way that might give France a hint, even though I already knew I couldn't. "I, ah..." Suddenly, it was as if my mouth was moving on its own. I don't know why I said what I said; maybe it was the curse, maybe it was what I wished was the truth, I don't know. I guess it doesn't really matter, because I said it, regardless.

"I don't care about England. I never have, and I never will." As soon as I said it, I felt something horrible in the pit of my stomach. I heard a small creak, but ignored it. Probably someone upstairs or something.

"You don't care about him?" France looked shocked. I was pretty surprised myself, but I didn't let it show. I gritted my teeth and didn't respond to France's question. He just stared at me in return. Finally, he shook his head, gathered up his things, and headed for the door. I grabbed my stuff and caught up with him. As we were walking out, something caught my eye down the hall, almost around the corner. I blinked and it was gone. Was that...?

"Hey France, I'll catch up with you later, 'kay? I gotta go see something," I said. France gave me a curious look, but he simply nodded. I gave a half-hearted grin and took off down the hall.

I could have sworn I saw...

_**England's POV**_

I sighed in exasperation. I had forgotten some papers back at the meeting room and had to walk all the way back. It was bothersome, but I guess it wasn't _that _bad. I came to the door of the meeting room and started to push it open, but stopped when I heard France's voice.

"So? How do you feel about Angleterre?"

Curious, I peeked through the tiny crack I'd made and saw America standing there, looking a little uncomfortable. Why were they talking about me?

"Oh, yeah. I..." America glanced at the floor. "I, ah..." He looked back up at France and said, "I don't care about England. I never have, and I never will."

_What?_

My eyes widened and my mouth fell open. He didn't care about me? I closed the door as my eyes started to fill up with tears. It creaked a little, but I didn't care. I turned around and leaned against the door, squeezing my eyes shut as the tears started to fall. I'd always had a feeling America hated me, but...

My eyes shot open as I heard footsteps. America and France were preparing to leave. I backed away from the door and ran down the hall and around the corner as fast as I could. I kept running, not caring where in the building I was going. Finally, I hit a dead end. I collapsed against the wall and hugged my legs to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. I held my arms around myself tighter and tighter as a fresh wave of tears started pouring down my face. It felt like I was going to fall apart right there if I let go.

Sobs wracked my body and my throat was sore, but I barely noticed. My chest heaved awkwardly and my heart thudded dully along with it. It really felt like my heart had split in two. I chastised myself in my head for being stupid enough to think I had a chance with America in the first place. It was obvious he hated me, but I had pretended not to notice. I had convinced myself that he did like me, if only as a friend. But it was a lie.

I heard a pair of footsteps pounding down the hall. I closed my eyes and refused to listen. I didn't care who it was. Nothing mattered anymore.

As soon as I thought that, two warm hands were suddenly cupping my face and I was staring into a pair of worried blue eyes. I avoided meeting the gaze as best I could.

This was not someone I wanted to talk to.

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><p><strong>Dun dun DUUUUUN! XD Thanks for reading my silly drama.<strong>

**Reviews and critiques highly appreciated~!  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2~! I hope you guys are ready for some drama! C8

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><p><em><strong>America's POV<strong>_

My footsteps hit the bare floor hard with every step, creating a pounding rhythm with my heart. I flew around the corner and just ran, my fear growing with every thud. Was that really...?

I turned another corner. I had lost count of how many I had passed at this point. As soon as I looked down the hall, my rapid heartbeat stopped. I was right.

It was England.

He was curled up against a wall, sobbing hard. He must have overheard my conversation with France. It hurt to see him like that, as if he was going to just fall to pieces right there. I walked up to him and cupped his face in my hands, staring straight into his dull green eyes. He looked surprised for a second, but that was quickly replaced with anger.

"A-America..." he growled shakily. I didn't know what to say. What _could _I say?

"England, I-" I started, but he pushed me away and stood up hastily.

"Idiot!" he screamed. Tears were running down his face and his eyes were blazing with anger. I winced, guilt quickly rising up inside me. Why had I said that? I was so stupid. I desperately tried to explain.

"E-England, you don't understand, I-"

"You what?" he hissed, glaring at me in a way that made me want to crawl into a hole and die. He chuckled coldly. "I understand perfectly well, America. You don't have to bloody explain what I just heard!"

"No, that's not-"

"Shut up!" He covered his ears with his hands and shook his head furiously to emphasize his point. "Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" He was shaking and sobbing, so hurt and upset... I felt so damn helpless. I wanted to comfort him, wrap my arms around him, tell him everything was okay... I tried to. I tried as hard as I could. But my arms stayed at my sides and my words in my mouth.

I hated this curse.

"America, you idiot...!" England looked up at me with the most hopeless expression I've ever seen. It practically ripped my heart out of my chest. It didn't help to know I was the cause of his pain.

I hated myself. I really did. This was just another of my idiotic blunders, just another example of how much I've hurt others.

How could I not hate myself?

"England..." I said quietly. "I didn't... I didn't mean..."

"I thought I told you to shut up." Trembling, England stood up and faced me. "Idiot. You don't understand. You..." His voice broke and he tried again. "I... America..." Suddenly, as if he just couldn't stand it anymore, he burst out, "I love you, damn it!" And then, before I even had time to process what he had just said, his lips were on mine. I froze up, confused and frustrated.

He loved me? But that didn't make any sense! I thought he only liked me as a friend. And besides, there wasn't anything _to_ love about me! So why would he...?

My mind suddenly came back to what was happening. My face heated up and I felt like screaming with frustration. All I wanted was to kiss back, hold him... Anything! Anything but nothing. However, as usual, the curse was merciless. So I just stood there like the idiot I was as he kissed me.

England finally moved away, disappointment showing in his eyes. "You really... Hate me... Don't you?" he whispered sadly. He was starting to cry again. "How could I have fallen... For such an idiot?"

With a jolt, his words finally took their full effect on me. I was suddenly very angry. My hot face became a furnace and sparks of electricity were running through me. I was shaking very badly from trying to hold it back.

"How can you just... Say something like that?" I whispered, my eyes on the floor. He didn't seem to hear me, so I looked up at him and repeated it, louder. "How can you say that so easily?" I shouted. He seemed confused, but I didn't give him the chance to say anything. "You say I don't understand... You don't get it! _You're_ the one that doesn't understand! You don't understand now, and you never will!" I was screaming as loud as I could. Suddenly, my voice dropped in volume considerably. "But that's... Not your fault, is it? No... It's mine... It's always mine..." I couldn't stop myself from tearing up at this point. I no longer had any control over what I was saying and the words were flowing freely. My voice was starting to rise again. "Well I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry all I do is hurt the ones I love. I'm sorry I'm so damn stupid I make mistakes at every turn. I'm sorry I exist, England! I'm sorry I...!" The curse halted my speech, freezing my mouth. That made my blood boil. My voice quivering and low, I added, "You would all probably be better off without me..."

England's eyes were wide, for what reason, I couldn't tell. He had that dear-in-the-headlights look and didn't seem to notice the tears streaming down his face. He just stared at me with that shocked expression and I glared right back in silence. After a few moments, his face darkened and he muttered, "Go away."

I cocked my head to one side and responded with a simple, "Hm?"

"I said, go away." He grimaced angrily. "Go away. As in leave me alone, get out of here, I don't want to see you right now. Go away." I was confused by his statement, but I just shook my head in reply. He bit his lip and said louder, "Go away!" I shook my head again. "Damn it, America, leave me alone!" he shouted.

"No." I couldn't explain it, but I had a horrible feeling that something terrible would happen if I left. It felt like something was up, but I had no idea just what.

"I said, go!" England shouted louder. Still, I refused. He looked furious. He reached into some pocket and all of a sudden I was staring straight into the barrel of a revolver.

"E-England, what-" I started, shocked and puzzled. He cut me off, though.

"I told you to leave," he said, his tone dangerously calm. I gulped nervously and shook my head. He growled and cocked the gun. "I may not be able to kill you, America, but I can still hurt you," he warned. "Let's try this again. Leave. Me. Alone." I stared at the gun, weighing my options. It couldn't kill me, but it would hurt... But then again, if it was for England...

I set my jaw and shook my head. "I'm not leaving you." England's expression at that moment was possibly one of the scariest things I have ever seen. His face was twisted with frustration and rage, but there was sadness in his eyes.

"Go away!"

"No!"

_Bang._

My eyes involuntarily widened as a searing pain shot up my shoulder. Hot blood started trickling from the wound, staining my clothes red. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying out and ended up drawing blood from there, too.

England was shaking violently. "G-Get the hell away from me!" he screamed. Still biting my lip, I shook my head.

_Click._

I stepped closer and put my hands on his shoulders. There was a look of horror in his face.

_Bang._

It felt like there was a fire in my stomach. Keeping one hand on England's shoulder, I doubled over, holding my bleeding abdomen tightly with my other hand. I gasped in pain, finding it difficult to breath through such overwhelming hurt.

"America!" He was calling out my name. Why? "America!" My legs gave out and I fell. My hand slipped from England's shoulder, but he caught it with his own hand. "America, I-I'm sorry, I don't know what... I-I just..." He was frantically trying to apologize or something to me, but I wasn't really listening. "I-I'll go get some help." He started to leave, but I gripped his hand tighter and pulled him back.

"W-Wait..." I choked. "I have... Something... I need... To tell... You..."

"Can't it wait?" he asked, annoyance and worry mixing in his voice. I shook my head for perhaps the tenth time those last few minutes.

"England..." I started quietly. "I... England, I..." Damn that curse. I clenched my teeth. I couldn't say it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I..." My eyelids were starting to droop. Everything was foggy. "I..." My hand released England's and everything went dark.

The last thing I remember was that he grabbed my limp hand before it could hit the floor...

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><p><strong>MY wish is for you guys to NOT hate England. D8 Please don't! He doesn't know America's side of the story! OTL<strong>

**R&R please~  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**England's POV**

"Igirisu-san, are you okay?" Japan asked me. His face was his usual, blank expression, but there was worry in his eyes.

I shook my head. "No... I-I'm okay..." I looked over at America, who was in bed. Right after he had passed out, I had called Japan and together, we had somehow brought him back to his house. Japan, being the responsible country he is, was able to patch America up as best he could; now, all he needed was rest.

Japan was still looking at me, as if he expected me to break down or something. I frowned in annoyance. "Japan, I'm okay! But..." I turned my face away. "I'm worried about America..." Japan smiled at me.

"Of course you are worried about him. It's only natural," he said. I let out a sigh.

"Yes... You're right." I paused. "Japan, could you, maybe..." He nodded before I could finish, made a quick bow, and left the room. I silently wondered if he knew how to read minds.

I turned my attention back to America. Looking into his sleeping face, I felt immense guilt well up inside me. I was such an idiot. I buried my face into my hands and let out a few sobs. The man I cared about most wouldn't leave me... So I shot him? What kind of messed up logic was that? I shuddered when I remembered his expression after I'd kissed him. That's right. That's why I was so upset.

He hated me.

I frowned. But that didn't make sense! If he hated me, why would he refuse to leave me? I felt like there was a very important piece I was missing, but I couldn't figure out what it was for the life of me. I absentmindedly started running my fingers through my hair, trying to understand the American's actions. I decided to go through it step by step.

First, he said he didn't care about me. Second, he ran after me when I was upset. Third, I kissed him and it seemed like he hated me. Fourth, he refused to leave my side, even when I shot him. Now that I thought about it, he had been about to tell me something before he passed out...

I shook my head. None of this made any sense! All his actions were contradictory! Did he care about me or not? Either way, why couldn't he just come out and tell me? It would save me a lot of useless worrying. I growled and took my hand away from my head. This was so frustrating!

A small moan brought my attention back to America. His eyelids fluttered listlessly and he turned his head slightly in my direction. He mumbled something that sounded like my name.

"America? W-What is it?" I asked.

"I..." A tiny cough interrupted him. "I need... T-To... Tell you... Something..." He winced slightly, as if the effort of just speaking hurt immensely.

"No, don't talk," I scolded. "Just rest. We can talk later."

"But it's..." He took a deep breath. "It's... Important..."

I didn't say anything, wondering if it was okay to let him speak. I was curious about what he had to tell me, but I also wanted him to get better...

"England, I... I-I..."

"Yes?"

America cursed weakly under his breath. "I still... Can't say it..."

I was starting to get really confused by this point. "What? What is it?" He let his eyes close completely and he took another deep breath before trying again.

"I... I l..."

He let out a small gasp of pain, and I said, "That's enough. America, go to sleep." He gave a weak whine, but I shook my head. "No. You need to rest."

"F-Fine..." He attempted to relax, and within seconds, he was asleep. He didn't look very comfortable, though; he was very tense. I gazed at him sadly, thinking.

What was he trying to tell me? I grimaced, wondering if it had anything to do with the strange way he had been acting. What was wrong with him, anyway? I mean, apart from being shot...

Suddenly, a thought hit me. What if he... Did I dare to even think that he might...?

"No way...!" I whispered to myself. "Could he really...?" I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, making the silent room suddenly loud in my ears. "No," I told myself. "Don't even go there. There's no way..."

Without any warning, America's eyes suddenly shot open and he sat up shakily. He stared at me with wide, blurry eyes. Shocked, I let out a small cry. "A-America! W-What the hell?"

"England!" he gasped. "W-What... D-Did you..." We just stared at each other, both of us visibly confused. Finally, America fell back onto his pillow with a groan.

"A-America... What was that?" I asked tentatively. He glanced at me, a look of slight frustration on his face.

"I don't know... I just felt..." He paused, searching for the right word. "Weird." I gave him an unimpressed look.

"_Very_ descriptive," I said sarcastically. He glared at me.

"Well so-_rry_ for not having a perfect vocabulary," he growled. We were silent for a few moments, before I finally spoke.

"So... Why did you wake up?"

"I just told you!" America tensed, bringing his hand up to his forehead. It seemed his little outburst had caused him some pain. "Something, I dunno, something... I felt something." He paused again. "Like... This sort of... Jolt, I guess." He sighed. "I don't know how to explain it..." I just started playing with my hands and nodded silently, doing whatever I could to avoid looking at his face. "England? What's wrong?"

I didn't answer. America gave a "hmph" and repeated his question. "England. What is the matter?" It sounded like more of a statement than a question.

I was silent, but I could feel America's eyes burning into my head, so it didn't take long for me to answer. "I just... I..." I suddenly burst into tears, unable to hold them back any longer.

"E-England?" He sounded surprised, but I took no notice.

"I'm sorry, America!" I cried. "I'm sorry! I don't know why I... H-How could I do such a thing to you... I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-" I was cut off unexpectedly when I found myself in a tight hug. I looked up, my vision blurred from the tears.

"It's okay. I forgive you," America said warmly. He was stroking my head comfortingly.

"B-But... Why?" I asked.

"Why? What do you mean, why?" He sounded honestly puzzled by my question. It just made me feel worse.

"I bloody _shot_ you, you idiot!" I shouted, crying even harder. "And you just forgive me? Just like that? Why won't you yell at me, or tell me off, or _something_! Anything would be better! Anything! I just feel so damn guilty..." I broke off and just sobbed into his chest. He hugged me tighter.

"It's okay, England."

"You already said that," I whispered.

"I say it because it's true," he replied.

"No it isn't!"

"Ssh..." He was rubbing circles into my back, now. I wanted to push him away, but something stopped me.

"T-This is all wrong..." I mumbled lamely.

"What do you mean?"

"Y-You're injured... I'm the one who should be comforting you!"

America smiled softly. "I guess so... But I... I like this..." He was blushing just a little, and again, I found myself wondering.

To distract myself, I asked, "America, aren't you sore or anything? You're certainly not acting like you were just shot..." He blinked and looked confused, as if he hadn't thought about it either.

"Huh... Now that you mention it, I do feel better than I would have expected..." He grinned. "I guess it's because I'm just _that_ awesome!" I scoffed.

"Idiot," I murmured, smiling through my tears. I was curious, though. Why did he feel so much better? Could it have something to do with how he had woken up so suddenly? I was reminded again of what I had been thinking about before he woke up...

"America," I started tentatively, "what... What were you going to tell me before you passed out?" He froze, his grin quickly replaced by a fearful look. The change startled me.

"I, uh..." He rubbed the back of his head, glancing around the room nervously. "I-I just... T-There's something that I've been wanting to tell you for a long time, and I..." He was fidgeting and playing with his hair. I wasn't used to him acting so anxious, and it was worrying. What could possibly be so difficult to say?

_Unless..._

My eyes widened. _He tried to comfort me so desperately... And he forgave me so quickly... And all these years we've known each other, he's been so kind... But what he told France..._

_No,_ I told myself firmly._ He meant what he said to France. And yet..._

_Why?_

_Why did he do all this?_

_Could he..._

_No, why would he? Why would anyone ever feel that way about me?_

_But all that he's done..._

_But what about France?  
><em>

_But his actions contradict that..._

_But..._

_But..._

_..._

_Does he..._

_...Love me...?_

I gasped, wondering if my revelation could possibly be true. I barely noticed the flicker in America's eyes, as if something he had been missing for a long time had returned.

"England...?" he said softly. His voice quickly rose, his tone changing to something resembling hysteria. "England...! England! E-England, England!"

"What?" I interrupted before he could continue. "I'm right here, what do you want?"

He stared at me, his beautiful eyes wide and sparkling with emotions I had never seen there before. He pressed his hand to his chest, clutching the fabric almost desperately. It was obvious his heart was racing; mine was, too.

"What?" I asked again, a little uneasy.

"England...!" he said again, out of breath. "England... I... I l-love... you..." His face mirrored mine, both of us in complete shock. Thinking he loved me and actually hearing it were two, very different things... But why was he so surprised? "I love you..." he repeated getting louder with each echo. "I love you. I love you!" He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close, and pressed his lips to mine. When he pulled away, he let his head rest so our foreheads were touching and said again and again, "I love you."

All of this happened so quickly, it took a moment for me to realize what had just happened. I was speechless, but luckily, America didn't seem to expect me to respond. He was too busy squeezing me tightly and telling me how much he loved me. Finally, I put my finger to his lips and whispered, "I love you too, you idiot. And I believe you, you don't have to say it so much."

"But England," he said, joy shining brightly from every word, "I do... I love you so much, and I... I just..." He stopped, grinning. "I'm... So happy." He kissed me again, as if he needed reassurance that he could. When we broke apart to catch our breath, his lips quickly found their way back to mine. It was almost desperate.

Finally, he seemed to have calmed down a bit and we just sat there in silence, holding each other. "Why couldn't you have told me this earlier?" I asked after a while. He smiled at me, as if he wanted to laugh at some irony I couldn't see.

"Well," he said thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling. "I guess..." He kissed my forehead. "It all started with those stories you used to tell me..."

* * *

><p><strong>The End! 8D So? What'd you guys think? Did this chapter make any sense...? And furthermore, should I redo chapter from America's POV? It's all up to you guys!<strong>


	5. America's Ending

**America's POV**

_I was standing in a grassy field. I didn't recognize where I was at all; no matter which way I turned, all I could see was the blue sky with its fluffy, white clouds and the lush, green grass. I sat down, confused as to how I had ended up here. Soft footsteps a little ways away told me there was someone coming. I lifted my head and felt a stream of sadness rush into my heart._

_"England..." I whispered. He didn't seem to hear me, so I repeated his name, louder. "England!" I called. He didn't respond, and instead continued staring at the sky. "England!" I shouted as loud as I could. No reply. I sighed, figuring this was no different from everyday life. No matter how loud I cried, no matter how many times I tried, he could never hear me..._

_The sky turned dark, the clouds becoming gray and menacing. The distance between England and me seemed to grow with every second. I reached out for him, tried to run after him, but it was no good. I skidded to a halt when something appeared in front of me, not allowing me to pass._

_"Hello, America," it said in a sing-song voice. I stared at it for a moment, before suddenly realizing it was the Thing that I had met all those years ago..._

_"You..." I whispered, shocked. I clenched my fists._

_"Yes, me," it replied, smiling coldly._

_"You!" I hissed, stepping right up to it. I was much taller than it, but it still seemed to tower over me menacingly. "I don't want this anymore!" I shouted. "Take this curse away! I don't want it! It's not what I wished for!"_

_"Oh, but it is!" that Thing practically sang. "I granted you exactly what you wished for!" It waggled its finger at me in a mock reprimand. "No take-backs, refunds, or exchanges." Angry, I swung my fist at it but the Thing just disappeared in a burst of dark, cold smoke. I could hear its voice all around me, echoing._

_"There is only one way to break the curse," it sang. "He has to figure out how you feel."_

_"That's impossible!" I shouted, my eyes beginning to fill with frustrated tears. "That's the whole freaking point of the curse!"_

_"Ah-ah-ah, never say never!" it replied easily. "You'll figure it out, I'm sure."_

_This was maddening._

_"Just take it away, please!" I pleaded desperately. "Please, I'm begging you!" For once, there was silence. "Hello?" I called. "Take it away!"_

_Nothing._

_I groaned and held my head in my hands, feeling utterly hopeless._

A soft moan escaped my lips and I struggled to open my eyes. Blinking to keep them open, I turned my head and realized I was in my own bed. England was there, sitting next to me with a worried look on his face.

"En... England..." I mumbled, although I don't think he heard me. He was just looking at me, a deep sadness in his beautiful green eyes. I hated it when he looked like that, especially when it was directed at me...

"America? W-What is it?" he asked cautiously.

"I..." I started, but was interrupted by a little cough. I tried again. "I need... T-To... Tell you... Something..." I winced as a stab of pain raced through my head, making my vision blur for a moment.

"No, don't talk," England scolded. "Just rest. We can talk later."

"But it's..." I took a deep breath, trying somehow to let England know how desperately I needed to tell him this. "It's... Important..." He looked at me curiously, but didn't say anything. I took this as a sign to continue. "England, I... I-I..." My voice broke and no sound came out.

"Yes?" England asked, a little impatient.

"Damn it..." I muttered to myself. "Damn... I still... Can't say it..." I could tell England was thoroughly confused.

"What? What is it?"

I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. I was thankful for the blankets covering me, or else England would have seen how much I was shaking.

"I... I l..." The mere fact that I had actually gotten out the "l" sound startled me, and caused my head to send me another wave of pain. I gasped in response, silently wondering if I was making progress.

England cut my thoughts short. "That's enough," he said sternly. "America, go to sleep." I gave a weak whine, wanting him beyond reason to understand just how I felt. I couldn't let out more than that pitiful sound, though. He shook his head and continued, "No. You need to rest."

"F-Fine..." I rolled over onto my side so I couldn't see England and let my consciousness slowly fade away. The blankets were too hot, and I could barely breath with the pillow covering my face.

_God, this is uncomfortable..._

* * *

><p>A sudden shock raced through me, waking me from my tense sleep. My eyes shot open and I sat up, trembling slightly. I stared at England, my eyes wide. I couldn't explain it, but somehow... It felt like something had just pricked my heart. A tease, almost.<p>

England let out a small cry, obviously startled. "A-America! W-What the hell?"

"England!" I gasped. He was the only one who could pierce my heart like that. "W-What... D-Did you..." I was stumbling over my words, so I settled for just staring at him. He stared right back, confusion spread all over his face. When nothing happened, I groaned in disappointment and fell back onto my pillow. I had hoped this was going somewhere, but...

"A-America... What was that?" England asked cautiously. I glanced at him, trying to mask my frustration but not doing a very good job.

"I don't know..." I admitted. "I just felt..." I paused, searching for the right word. "Weird," I finally said lamely. England shot me an unimpressed look.

"_Very_ descriptive," he said sarcastically. I glared at him.

"Well so-_rry_ for not having a perfect vocabulary," I growled, successfully hiding my blush. We were silent again, until England finally spoke up.

"So... Why did you wake up?" The obvious question to ask...

"I just told you!" My little outburst made my head spin. I tensed and felt my forehead, trying to blink away the blurriness. I attempted to explain again. "Something, I dunno, something... I felt something." I paused. "Like... This sort of... Jolt, I guess." I sighed, wishing I could explain that strange feeling. I wasn't even sure if the curse would allow me if I did know how... "I don't know how to explain it," I confessed. I waited for England to say something, but he just nodded silently and started playing with his hands, avoiding looking at me. "England?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

I didn't get a response. I gave a small "hmph" and repeated my question. "England," I said seriously. "What is the matter?" He wasn't answering me, but I just kept staring at his head. I was glad I knew exactly how to elicit a response from him.

As expected, the staring worked. "I just..." he started. "I..." He suddenly burst into tears, as if he had been holding them in for a long time and just couldn't take it anymore.

"E-England?" I asked, startled.

"I'm sorry, America!" he cried. Tears were running down his face and it broke my heart. I wanted to wipe them away and tell him everything was alright, but that would eventually lead to my stupid curse screwing things up... "I'm sorry!" he said again. "I don't know why I... H-How could I do such a thing to you... I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-" I just couldn't take seeing him so distressed anymore. Awkward or not, I took my chances and hugged him tightly before he could continue.

"It's okay. I forgive you," I said as comfortingly as I could. I stroked the top of his head gently, remembering that that was what he used to do when I was little and was upset for some reason.

"B-But... Why?" he asked, his voice slurred by tears. This question puzzled me.

"Why? What do you mean, why?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. Couldn't he see how much I cared about him, even if he thought it was friendship, not love?

"I bloody shot you, you idiot! And you just forgive me? Just like that?" he shouted, crying even more. Seeing the increase of tears made me feel immediately guilty. "Why won't you yell at me, or tell me off, or _something_! Anything would be better! Anything! I just feel so damn guilty..." He trailed off and hid his face, sobbing into my chest. I hugged him tighter, wanting only for him to feel better.

"It's okay, England," I said softly.

"You already said that," he whispered.

"I say it because it's true."

"No it isn't!"

"Ssh..." I started rubbing circles into his back, doing everything I could to try and calm him down. It seemed to work; his tears were starting to dry a little. I felt him tense in my arms, like he was about to push me away. It scared me for a moment, but then he relaxed again, and so did I.

"This is all wrong..." he mumbled, embarrassed.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"Y-You're injured... I'm the one who should be comforting you!"

I smiled softly, thinking back to all the times England had comforted me in the past. He was always there, ready to help me when I needed him. It was time I payed him back, and this was the least I could do.

"I guess so," I finally said. "But I... I like this..." I felt my face heat up a little, barely noticing England's upset expression change to a thoughtful one.

"America, aren't you sore or anything?" he asked. "You're certainly not acting like you were just shot..." I blinked, suddenly realizing he was right. I felt... Energized, somehow. It was like that little prick earlier was giving me strength or something.

"Huh... Now that you mention it, I do feel better than I would have expected..." I grinned, settling for a "classic" response. "I guess it's because I'm just _that_ awesome!" England scoffed, like I knew he would.

"Idiot," he murmured, smiling. My spirits rose at this. I loved to see him smile, especially when I was the one who caused it. Not one of those sarcastic smirks, though. As cliche as this may sound, I loved his real smiles, the ones that came straight from his heart. They gave me hope.

England's smile faded into an "o" shape, like he had suddenly remembered something. "America, what... What were you going to tell me before you passed out?" The question caught me off guard and I froze, my grin disappearing.

"I, uh..." I rubbed the back of my head, glancing around the room nervously. This was not a subject I wanted to discuss, for obvious reasons. "I-I just... T-There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time, and I..." I started playing with my hair, trying anything to distract myself or England. I vaguely knew my anxiety would only make him more curious, but I ignored logic and went with instinct.

I heard England gasp, but I barely noticed. Another prick, like the one earlier, had slit my heart, but it felt different this time. Last time, it felt teasing, like when you are trying to think of a word and it's on the tip of your tongue, but slyly manages to evade your mind. No, this time it was direct, straight on. It pierced me right to the core, filling me with a wonderful feeling of freedom that was practically foreign to me. How ironic that the country of freedom was feeling such things...

My eyes widened and my hands were shaking. I had thought I loved England before, but those once-powerful emotions seemed like nothing to the ones I was feeling now. I stared at him as if I had never seen him before. As I looked, I saw something deep in those expressive eyes of his - love.

"England...?" I whispered, scarcely believing this was real. I could feel my voice quickly rising, but I didn't care. "England...! England! E-England, England!" I couldn't stop saying his name. That beautiful, blessed name just kept rolling off my tongue like water gushing from a broken pipe.

"What?" he interrupted me, successfully plugging up the pipe. "I'm right here, what do you want?"

I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I felt like my heart was literally about to burst from all the emotions rushing through me. I put my hand over that spot, clutching the fabric tightly. It felt like I needed to hang onto something, or I would be overrun by all the feelings I had not been allowed to have before. What was this? Why was this happening?

Suddenly, it came to me.

Could the curse have broken somehow? Was I finally...

_Free?_

"What?" England repeated, his voice uneasy.

"England...!" I said breathlessly. "England... I..." The inevitable slash of fear ran through me. What if the curse wasn't broken? What if I still couldn't tell him how I felt? I ignored the feeling as best I could and pushed on. I had to have trust in myself.

I had to have trust in England.

"I l-love... You..." I said awkwardly, stumbling over the alien words. Shock passed over his face, and I figured my face looked about the same. I had thought I would be able to say it this time, but thinking it and actually saying it were two, very different things. "I love you..." I repeated, loving the way the words felt in my mouth. "I love you." I could hear myself getting louder and louder, but I just couldn't stop myself. "I love you!" I wrapped my arms around England, pulling him as close as I could, and pressed my lips to his. It was wonderful, the way his lips met mine. It was something I had yearned for for so long and now I finally had it...

It was incredible.

I pulled away, out of breath, and touched my forehead to his. "I love you," I said again before I could stop myself. I squeezed him tighter and told him again and again how much I loved him, unable to stop the flow of words. It seemed the pipe had broken again...

England looked dazed, but he was smiling. He was truly happy, without a doubt. But there was also a look of relief in his face, which was perplexing. I didn't stop to think about it though, and just continued speaking. Eventually, he put his finger to my lips and whispered, "I love you too, you idiot. And I believe you, you don't have to say it so much."

"But England," I said, perfectly aware of the joy pouring off every word, "I do... I love you so much, and I... I just..." I stopped, grinning. "I'm... So happy," I finished simply. I kissed him again, needing the warm feeling of his mouth against mine. When we broke apart to catch our breath, I quickly found his lips again and kissed him desperately. It was then that I realized how much I truly needed him.

My England.

After the ecstatic high wore off and I had calmed down a bit, we just sat there in silence, holding each other. Being so close filled me with such a satisfied, warm feeling. I hugged him tighter, never wanting to let go again. I let my eyes wander around the room a little, and I saw a hooded figure in the shadows.

_Congratulations,_ it said, _you finally broke the curse._ England didn't seem to hear or see it, so I figured it must be talking into my mind or something. That was a little creepy, but it didn't bother me very much. Nothing did.

_So, how does your happy ending feel?_ it asked in an almost bored tone.

_Great,_ I thought. It nodded, satisfied.

_England managed to figure out you loved him all by himself... Quite impressive,_ it noted, more to itself than to me. _You owe him a great deal._

_What do you mean?_ I asked.

It sighed. _Do you really need me to tell you everything? Can't you figure it out for yourself?_

I thought for a moment, before responding. _Do you mean... The only way to break the curse was if England figured out how I felt... Even though I was unable to tell him?_

_Correct._ It smiled knowingly. _Well, it looks like you don't need me anymore. Good-bye and good luck._ Then it disappeared before I could ask it what it meant by, "you don't need me anymore."

Perhaps that Thing wasn't so horrible after all.

England's voice broke my thoughts. "Why couldn't you have told me this earlier?" he asked. I almost burst out laughing at the irony, but instead settled for a smile. I didn't want to make him feel like an idiot.

"Well," I said, looking up at the ceiling and wondering where to begin. "I guess..." I kissed his forehead softly, finally finding the perfect place. "It all started with those stories you used to tell me..."


End file.
